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York Region gives $1M and a nod to MZO request for Newmarket emergency shelter

Inn From the Cold on the verge of homelessness, Newmarket mayor says

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 3, 2022
Kim Zarzour

A key shelter for people experiencing homelessness in York Region is on the verge of becoming homeless itself.

Inn from the Cold, a charity that provides shelter services in Newmarket during the winter, is losing its facility on Penrose Street in the downtown area as the lease expires in October 2024.

A new building is planned for 17046 Yonge St. (north of the Quaker Meeting House between Eagle Street West and Clearmeadow Boulevard), but there are hurdles to cross first, Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said at the Sept. 29 regional council meeting.

The town has endorsed the shelter’s request for a minister’s zoning order (MZO) to expedite development of the new three-storey emergency shelter and transitional housing building.

It’s the only way to ensure the shelter can move into a new facility before the lease expires and to continue operations without a gap in service, Taylor said.

Regional councillors today expressed their support for the move.

MZOs have garnered a reputation as a way for developers to fast-track and circumvent normal planning processes, but Taylor, and others on council, agreed that in this case, the request is justified.

“MZOs should be used in rare occasions ... particularly where it’s about the community good where there’s a sense of urgency; that’s exactly what it’s designed for,” Taylor said.

Regional council also agreed to contribute $1 million from York’s $67.7-million Social Housing Development Reserve to help ensure the project stays on the timeline.

Funds would be replenished through the region’s anticipated operating surpluses.

Newmarket and the shelter are seeking to raise an additional $2.5 million from a fundraising committee in addition to applying for a $6.5-million grant from Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to supplement the total estimated capital budget of $12 million.

If the ministry deems it’s in the public interest to grant the MZO, the shelter will apply for site plan approval and permits, involving the community and a working group with area residents to address issues such as buffering, tree preservation and building location, height and density.

If the MZO is not approved, Taylor said the project will be set back and, in a worst-case scenario, the town would have to find space elsewhere, possibly in an underutilized factory as a temporary space for a year.

Inn from the Cold is a seasonal, 25-bed facility that also provides day programming with the goal of transitioning people who are chronically homeless to stable housing and reduce the reliance on emergency shelters. The new shelter would include 26 emergency housing beds and 18 transitional housing units.

Inn from the Cold is not just a local initiative but serves the region as a whole, Taylor said.

“Clients move from one location to another,” he said. “As one becomes busy, others can help to support, so it’s a network of support.

“We should be incredibly proud of the network we have and that we’re building. With the new transitional housing units opening in Georgina and East Gwillimbury, with the planned expansion in Aurora, we’re providing a very, very strong service.”